Saffron Walden Arts Trust
Registered Charity 271365
The Saffron Walden Arts Trust emerged from the Friends of Saffron Walden Corn Exchange which was formed in 1975 to continue and develop the work of the Mailings Committee, whose object was to provide Walden with an Arts and social centre.
For 25 years the Friends fostered and encouraged the Arts by promoting and underwriting performances and talks, and by providing essential equipment in the dual purpose Library and Arts Centre in the Corn Exchange. The expansion of library activities in the Corn Exchange in the late 1990s caused the closure of the Arts Centre by Essex County Council, and as a result the Friends decided in April 2000 to transform the organisation into the Saffron Walden Arts Trust.
One of the aims of the Trust is to campaign for the establishment of a real arts centre for the area. It also wishes to coordinate, encourage, and promote artistic enterprises of all kinds so that the existence of a sustainable need for better provision for the Arts is clearly demonstrated.
The Trust needs active members to fulfil its aims, in particular to be able to represent the views of the widest range of artistic interests when lobbying for better provision for the Arts in the area. The cost of membership is small, but the work of the Trust should be of inestimable value to the Saffron Walden district
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Mayor's Appeal 2008
An Arts Fair, arranged by SWAT in aid of the Mayor's Appeal, was held in Saffron Walden town hall on the 29-30th November. 20 artists exhibited a range of artworks included paintings, drawings, prints, photographs, woodturning, textiles, jewelry and hand-printed paper products. The event was sponsored by local businesses, “The Restaurant on Church Street” “Adnams” and “Waitrose”. A preview evening on the Friday featured well-known harpist Patricia Spero. The event raised over £1,600, which is to be donated to the Saffron Walden Youth Outreach project. Photographs of the event, taken by Gordon Ridgewell, can be found at the following link. http://www.ridgewell.net/arts-index.htm
